Gurpreet Buttar

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION – July 26, 2018
Discipline Order

BUTTAR, Gurpreet
Vancouver, BC

In accordance with s. 39.3 of the Health Professions Act, the following public notice is given:

Name of Registrant: Gurpreet Buttar (the “Registrant”)

Action Taken:
The Inquiry Committee of the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia (the “College”) directed the issuance of a Citation for a Discipline Hearing under s.33(6)(d) of the Health Professions Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 183 (the “Act”) to determine whether the Registrant engaged in professional misconduct by contravening the terms and undertakings in a s. 36 consent order for a previous complaint. The terms of the previous consent order required the Registrant to: (a) obtain an unconditional pass on the Professional/Problem Based Ethics (PROBE) Program completed in May 2017; (b) submit a supervision plan for approval to the College Registrar on or before May 15, 2017 before commencing supervised practice; and (c) make monthly instalment payments of $1,000.00 to the College commencing July 1, 2017 until the College’s investigative costs and costs of supervision were paid in full.

Reasons for Action

The Inquiry Committee investigation revealed that the Registrant failed the PROBE Program, did not submit a supervision plan on or before May 15, 2017, proceeded to practice without supervision in place, and failed to make his instalment payments on time. The Inquiry Committee also took into consideration that the Registrant had been before the Committee for two previous complaints that were resolved with consent orders in June 2012 and November 2013 respectively for practice concerns relating to unethical billing and improper record-keeping.

Following the issuance of the citation, the Registrant submitted a proposal under s. 37.1 of the Act to resolve the matter. The Inquiry Committee agreed to accept a modified version of the s.37.1 proposal and directed the cancellation of the Citation under s. 37(4) of the Act.

The Undertaking and Consent Order under s. 37.1 of the Act is considered to be an order of the Discipline Committee made under s. 39 of the Act (s. 37.1(3)(a)). In the Undertaking and Consent Order issued under s.37.1 of the Act, the Registrant gave his undertaking and consented to the following:

  1. He admitted to professional misconduct regarding the allegations set out in the Citation, namely that he: (a) contravened para. 3 of the 2017 Consent Order by failing to obtain an unconditional pass in the PROBE Program; (b) contravened para. 4 of the 2017 Consent Order by failing to provide a supervision plan to the Registrar of the College for approval on or before May 15, 2017 and continued to practice occupational therapy after that date without supervision in place; and (c) contravened para. 7 of the 2017 Consent Order by submitting his monthly instalments towards the College’s investigative costs and costs of supervision for July, August, September, October, November and December 2017 and January and February 2018 late.
  2. He consented to the immediate cancellation of his registration with the College.
  3. He acknowledged that he is not eligible to apply for registration or reinstatement of registration with the College for a period of five (5) years from the date of the Undertaking and Consent Order (July 6, 2018).
  4. He must pay the College the sum of $13,411.82 representing the amount outstanding under the 2017 Consent Order for investigative costs and supervision costs as well as discipline hearing preparation legal costs and disbursements by monthly instalments of $1,500.00.
  5. He must not hold himself out as an occupational therapist, as entitled to practice occupational therapy or provide occupational therapy services while his registration is cancelled.
  6. He undertakes and consents to refrain from contacting or communicating with clients or prospective clients except for the purpose of advising them of the fact and duration of his cancellation of registration or referring them to a registrant in good standing for occupational therapy services. He acknowledges that he may not use his undergraduate degree in occupational therapy from the University of Alberta to imply that he can practice occupational therapy or is qualified to provide occupational therapy services.
  7. He must immediately surrender and return his Certificate of Registration to the College.
  8. He must make immediate arrangements to ensure that all advertising and marketing material for his services as an occupational therapist (including but not limited to LinkedIn, Facebook, other social media sites, and websites) are revised to remove any reference to him as an occupational therapist.
  9. He acknowledges that the Consent Order under s. 37.1 of the Act requires public notification under s. 39.3(1)(c) of the Act and further acknowledges that the College may publish the terms of this Consent Order under s. 37.1 of the Act in local Indo-Canadian newspapers in the Lower Mainland and will provide notification of the terms to other regulators of occupational therapy across Canada.
  10. The Respondent acknowledges that a contravention of any term of the Consent Order under s. 37.1 of the Act constitutes professional misconduct.

Mr. Gurpreet Buttar’s registration was cancelled on July 6, 2018.